Impact Factor
by Tairamika
Summary: Murder mystery, with a couple of other mysteries thrown in just for the hell of it. AU, violence, death. Angst, lots of the angst. Confusing storylines and overzealous plots. Yuki-X-Shuichi.


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To anyone waiting for me to update Lanceston Private School I apologize, the fic will update…but probably not till next weekend. Please stay patient! *inncoent smile *. This fic is a mystery story. I found that there was a high lack of Gravi fanfics involving what I'm going to insert into this story….

The pairings will be found out along the way, but I assure you it will definitely be Yuki-x-Shuichi.

Disclaimer: Don't own. Wai.

Warnings: Death, violence, guns. Eventually lemons, and other things of that sort. 

****

'To rescue someone who has fallen through the ice, the fingers of the rescuer's hand and the victims are bent together in an opposing grip'- The Ashley Book Of Knots.

Impact Factor.

The lecture room was bland. White walls, drab carpet, off yellow chairs complimented by off yellow tables. But most people didn't come for the décor, most came for the class. Which was situated in this bore for a room. But most hardcore science and math fans would say the excellent course canceled out such an eyesore.

The course was called physics, which could be the most interesting of classes, or the biggest bore this side of the universe. But since people could choose which course to take, there really wasn't a problem of attending a class that bored the hell out of you, well, except maybe for a select few.

The professor walked up to the board and grabbed a whiteboard marker, eyes sliding to the students then back again he wrote the next subject.

"Can anybody tell me what the IF theory stands for?" his voice rang out clear, startling the youths into attention.

None answered, which had been a high probability anyway. They came here to learn physics. Not teach it to the teacher.

The professor grinned heartily, feeling his life's calling for stir up inside him. Walking to a good vantage point for the whole class he started to talk enthusiastically, with many gestures to help him explain his point.

"The IF theory could be an expansion on the law of action and reaction. Any motion will ripple a reaction, any decision or choice will have an outake. Action and reaction. It's a constant in our life that many take for granted. The IF theory stands for Impact Factor theory, if I were to bounce a ball there would be an action followed with a reaction. IF studies the reaction, and how the action caused the reaction. Thus, we have Impact Factor. Or more appropriately called 'IF'."

The class nodded and jotted down notes, occasionally glancing at the board as the professor wrote down the written version of his explanation. The routine of the class was interrupted though, when a knock refocused the professor's attention to the policeman standing in the doorframe. 

"Professor Renstall?" The policeman's voice was hushed as the professor approached. 

"Yes Officer what can I do for you?"

The policeman winced then sighed heavily. He hated doing this, it was by far the hardest thing to do in his profession. "I need to talk to a Mr. Shindou, news about his sister…"

Renstall's eyes widened and he nodded. "I'll just get him"

Turning to the class he looked pointedly at Shuichi. "Ahh, Mr. Shindou, the officer would like to talk to you."

Whispers followed this statement as the boy slowly packed his knapsack, his eyes were distant and unseeing. The class pitied him greatly.

He walked up to the policeman, bag slung his shoulder and red rimmed eyes staring at nothing.

"C'mon kid, the counselor set a room up for us"

Shuichi didn't bother to question, just followed the officer dutifully. 

They walked out of the science block, and into the music building. Shuichi felt a brief lightening in his heart as they approached his favorite place to be. The counselor must have made sure the room she set up was somewhere comfortable and familiar to Shuichi, unlike the cold, bland science block.

They entered a random room, and the policeman gestured for Shuichi to take a seat. The boy nodded absently and sat. The officer paused, then sat down himself. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.

"Mr. Shindou, we have found your sister"

That was all it took for the life to rush back into the pink haired boy, his eyes widened and hope sparkled. "Where was she? Is she all right? Is she hurt? What happened?"

The rush of words took the older man off guard, the youth's demeanor had changed in a blink, leaving the impression of a young boy wringing his hands and waiting for an answer that would either make or break.

"Mr. Shindou…..I am truly sorry…a man on duty in the Kandra District found her dead. The signs show she had been abducted then murdered……..Mr.Shindou I am very sorry for your loss, and I just wish we had found her alive."

The officer closed his eyes briefly. God, he hated this. Looking up he took stock of the boy's reaction.

Shuichi hands were clutched together, the knuckles going white. His eyes were staring desperately at the wall directly behind the policeman.

"Dead?" It was a whisper, the voice hushed.

"Yes. I am very sorry."

"Maiko…she…" It trailed off into nothing, and the officer sighed.

"We have notified the school, you will be going to see the counselor now for advice on how to handle your loss." The words coming out of his mouth now were strictly rulebook, coming out in a practiced ease which almost sickened the man. He gave up all pretense of being professional and took the kid by the arm, leading him through the school to the counselor's office.

Entering the room, the first thing the man noticed was the prim looking counselor. Her hands were clasped, lips pursed and eyes narrowed in concentration. The second thing Officer Benton noticed was the young man to her left. Tears seemed to be slowly escaping his eyes, and as soon as Mr. Shindou walked in he jumped up onto his feet.

"Shuichi!"

The young man rushed past, arms securing around the distraught boy. The pink haired youth responded immediately, sobbing loudly as he buried his face into his friend's chest.

"Officer Benton" Benton blinked and tore his attention away from the two teens sharing their grief. 

"Yes?'

"Your superior called, apparently they need you." Her voice was calm and controlled, saying the words as if she actually knew what his commanding officer needed him for.

"I will take my leave off you then" He repressed an urge to bow formally, and turned his back on the two grieving boys and the stern counselor. He felt trepidation and wry humor as the thought came unbidden to mind _'my work here is done'._

__**__ 

They told him he had the rest of the term off, and the term had just started. That was a couple of months doing nothing and thinking about Maiko.

Hiroshi took him straight to his house, not wanting to leave Shuichi alone and not wanting to be alone himself. It was almost the unthinkable that had happened, Maiko being murdered. She only went missing three weeks ago…

Three weeks of pain three weeks of worry three weeks of fear. All to be ended off by a statement that would enhance the grief. It was a cruel world, Maiko was dead…..but all Hiroshi could think about was Shuichi.

Shuichi was acting blank. The first day he didn't talk, and Hiroshi tried to fill the silence but it didn't work. The second day Shuichi added eating to the list of things he wouldn't do, and sat in a room staring out the window. When Hiroshi had walked in to coax his friend into eating Shuichi had been sobbing brokenly. His eyes were squeezed shut and hands gripping the windowsill.

Hiroshi had left the room quietly, went back to his room and cried as well. 

The third day Shuichi gave up crying. 

The fourth day Shuichi stayed in bed, and stared at the wall. 

It was frustrating for Hiroshi, he had known both Maiko and Shuichi since they were ten. Since that day that his next door neighbors fostered in two little kids. A boy and a girl, a brother and a sister. And that sister was gone and Hiroshi could feel the pain. It was sharp like a dagger. But what hurt even more was that Shuichi couldn't share his pain with him, he couldn't use Hiroshi's embrace as a solace as he did that first day.

It hurt a lot.

The fifth day a letter came in the mail. It was a manila envelope, with the police department's logo stamped upon it. It was the details of Maiko's death. The place she was found, what they thought had happened to her and what had killed her. Hiroshi didn't tell Shuichi about the letter.

On the evening of the sixth day Hiroshi told Shuichi he was going shopping for some food. They were running out.

Shuichi had only nodded briefly and then went back to staring out the window, not crying.

*-*-*

When Hiroshi left Shuichi moved away from the window. He felt empty, loss had flooded all of his senses and made him numb.

He made his way to the kitchen eyes sweeping around then benches and appliances. The room felt cold and he made his way to the middle of the kitchen.

A flash of bland yellow caught his eye as he noticed a manila envelope wedged behind the microwave. He blinked and picked it up, running his hands over then police logo.

He opened it and stared at the letter, words running through his mind as tears made their way through his dry eyes.

The address caught his attention and he felt a fresh stab of pain.

Maiko was killed in an alleyway.

Her body was found covered in blood next to a dumpster.

He knew where he had to go.

*_*_*

He had left a note for Hiroshi, saying that he wanted to be alone for a while and had gone home. Shuichi had a student bus ticket, and he used that to take a bus to the Kandra District.

Maiko had been killed in the Kandra District.

Kandra District did not have a good reputation, it was the place where people went when they lost their homes. The place where homeless girls and runaways sold their bodies for sex. The place were gang fights, rape and murders happened frequently. Shuichi did not understand why Maiko was found there, she had always hated that place.

He had memorized the address and found himself stumbling through rowdy streets. Night was closing in fast, and the cold was seeping into him. He hadn't thought to wear a jumper, and was suffering the consequences now. The sky broke and freezing rain covered the filthy streets, trying in vain to clean away the sins of such a place. Shuichi felt scared and desperate, running through streets and gasping in rain covered air. He stopped at street signs trying to find his direction.

The rain was making it hard to see and he was shivering with cold. He kept stumbling into people then leaping away before he could see exactly what dangerous person he had bowled over. His heart was screaming in anguish, wondering if Maiko had stumbled down these very streets, scared and alone then to have that feeling ended in a dark back alley as some murderous creature stuck a knife through her gut.

Through the desperation he found the street and felt his heart roaring through his ears. Tears and rain blinded Shuichi's eyes as he walked down the street and stopped at an alleyway.

This was it. This was the place. His throat tightened making it hard to breathe. The sounds of the city blared through his ears, it was deafening, so loud.

Shuichi took the first step into the alleyway and the noise abruptly stopped. It was like stepping through a warphole. The atmosphere in the dank alley was hushed and mournful, a dark silence. He couldn't see the edges of the alley, it was all blacked out except for a few places where the street light shined on.

Walking forward he saw the dumpster…..and there. Right next to the dumpster you could see the faint outlines of police chalk, shaping that of a human form.

Shuichi was shaking, tears wracking his body as he stared at the place his sister was killed. It wasn't fair. She wasn't meant to be dead, she wasn't meant to meet her last breath of life here in this drab dirty place. She was meant to grow up, meet a guy, fall in love….have children. And Shuichi was meant to be there for all of it. He was meant to be the one to give her away at her wedding. He was meant to be an uncle. He was meant…….she was meant to live.

It wasn't fair and it hurt. He gasped. Oh god, it hurt so much. 

Shuichi felt himself sway on his feet, the world was reflecting itself in grays and blacks. His mind was whirling and he collapsed next to the dumpster and the wall.

He didn't know how long he sat there and stared at the chalked outlines, he didn't know how long he cried. He didn't know how long he sobbed and screamed at the world, wanting to know why she died. 

The world didn't give him an answer.

*_*_*_*

"Fuck"

The man stormed down the rain slicked street, his eyes were glaring through blond strands sodden with rain. He hated the rain, the rain was pitiful. Always attempting to wash away the dirt. And if it was one thing he was sure of, you could never wash away the dirt.

His hands fumbled through his pocket, drawing out a battered pack of cigarettes. He paused under a street lamp, successfully pulling out a smoke and not getting it wet. Going through his other pocket he searched for his lighter.

The blondes movements were jerky with anger, which helped him accomplish the feat of sending his lighter halfway into a dark alley to his left.

"Mother Fucker!" 

The curse was strained with rage and anger. He glared menacingly at the alleyway and stormed in, muttering choice words under his breath. His eyes strained as he walked in the direction his lighter had gone, and he stomped his feet as he walked, trying to take his anger out on the cracked concrete.

A flash of silver caught the blonde's eye and he grinned triumphantly. "Got you, you bastard!"

He bent over to pick the lighter up when a hoarse yell reached his ears.

"Don't! Don't touch it!"

Yuki's head whipped around and he almost fell over. Gathering his wits he stood up and glared in the direction from which the shout had come.

"Excuse me?" well, this was convenient. But he couldn't help the malicious smile that spread over his features. He was in a mighty black mood and needed someone to take it out on.

Squinting he could make out a small dark shape moving out of a sitting position from next to the dumpster. He smirked and bent over, making as if to pick up his lighter.

The protest came again. "Don't! Oh god just please don't touch it! Don't touch the ground!" the voice was hiccuping, sobs making themselves known as the desperate cry rang through the air.

"What the fuck…?"

"Don't touch the ground!" The shape hurtled forward, kicking the lighter away from his hand. 

"You little shit!" Yuki growled, walking over to where his lighter landed. Standing up he lit his cigarette, and turned to face the raving lunatic.

He didn't expect what he saw though. It was a teenager, soaked to the bone and shivering. Rain sodden hair hung over and obscured the boy's face from view. His arms were wrapped around himself while pale hands clutched at wet clothes.

"I'm sorry….just…just don't touch it…you can't touch it, oh please just don't touch the ground…."

"What in fucks name are you raving about?" perplexed, Yuki stared.

"I…..she died here….she was killed here…the ground….just don't touch it."

Yuki blinked, startled. So this kid had obviously lost someone one and was grieving where she had been killed. Morbid? Yes. But also pathetically dangerous as well. Especially in this area.

"Look kid, I won't touch it okay. But if you don't want to end up like your dead friend you better get moving home."

The boy sobbed and his body shook harder. "She wasn't meant to die…."

Yuki's eyes twitched as he felt annoyance rise up in him. What the fuck did this kid except him to do? Console him for his loss? Hell no. His eyes narrowed.

"Go home you brat, I don't have time to listen to this"

The teenager's head snapped up and wide blue eyes stared at him. "You….you….Don't you care! Don't you even care that she died?! She wasn't meant to die! How could you be so cruel! How could you…."

The anger spiraled around Yuki as the words reached his ears. "Look you little shit!" he snapped, crushing his cigarette against the dirty wall. "I have nothing to do with this so why the hell should I care? You will get no sympathy from me! I don't care that she died, it has nothing to do with me!" In his anger he was repeating the same thing over again, just with different words. He sighed loudly, and turned to walk away when a gasp reached his ears.

He turned back again to witness the teenagers eyes roll back, arms go limp and body collapse bonelessly to the ground.

The last thought that had reeled through Shuichi's mind was that he couldn't remember the last time he had ate.

*-*-*-*

The first thought that wheedled through his mind was warmth. It was so warm, almost overbearingly so. He could feel blankets piled over him, making it hard to move.

He felt a yawn escape his mouth and opened his eyes sleepily. 

The second thought that came through his mind was where on earth was he? Shuichi furrowed his brow and searched through his mind, the conclusion coming to him in a matter of seconds. His hands clutched the blanked as he remembered the alleyway, the chalk outlines and hours of crying over his sister. He felt his hands clench even tighter as he remembered the man, the one who hadn't cared that his sister was dead. 

He knew it was unreasonable to get angry at someone because they didn't care that someone close to you had died. But it hurt so much, the pain was sharp and clear ….. almost unbearable. He'd thought people would at least show some kind of sympathy for that.

But then, for all he remembered he didn't remember how the hell he had gotten were he was. Shuichi could feel fear rising up and shook it off. His head hurt quite a bit, and his body felt weak with fatigue. It was like he hadn't eaten for days…

Oh. Shit.

The memory of the world going fuzzy and legs with no strength assaulted him. He had fainted…..then..

Eyes casting around the room he was in he cataloged it. The bed was up against the wall, a large almost full body height window to his right, adorned with plain black curtains. Old wood floorboards covered the room, and there was no door. Instead there was a crumbling brick arch and a step down, showing what looked to be the interior of a living room.

Shuichi's eyes widened as a man blocked his view of the living room and walked through the arch. The man was tall, very tall. Dressed in what looked to be a very expensive dress shirt with matching slacks. He walked with a certain air of annoyance around him, stalking almost like a cat. Every step he took Shuichi's eyes got wider until the man was right beside the bedside, making Shuichi crane his neck. A fall of blond brown hair fell hazardly around the mans face. It looked to have been hastily dried.

It was the guy from the alleyway, the one Shuichi had yelled at.

"You're awake" the voice was soft, yet annoyance flashed in the mans eyes and the eyebrows lowered.

Shuichi winced. "Ah….yes…um.."

A snort. "You know, I always thought teenagers were stupid --but you just take the cake."

Shuichi's eyes widened. "I…..I…." he grasped at words, mind running a million miles an hour. "I'm sorry..I didn't mean….you didn't have to…you could have just left me there…it was my fault….I'm sorry, sir" his knuckles whitened and a faint pink flush covered his checks as the embarrassment made itself known.

"Don't call me sir. I'm not that old. Its Yuki."

"Oh….I'm sorry sir….I mean Yuki." 

The pink haired teen shrugged mournfully and slid his eyes to the window. It was still raining.

"Go back to sleep, you'll eat tomorrow then you will get the hell out of my house."

The boy nodded furiously and opened his mouth to say something.

Yuki's eye twitched as he held up a hand to stop the boy. "Go to sleep and shutup. I have a headache" and with that he whirled around and stormed off.

*-*-*-*

His thoughts were running around his head like damn yapping dogs. Shaking his head, Yuki gave up any pretense of trying to read and stretched out on the couch, putting his hands behind his head he stared at the ceiling.

He lit up a smoke and puffed absently. If he strained his ears he could hear the faint sound of snoring coming from the room the boy was in. Yuki frowned. What had made him help the kid? Perhaps it was the pure notion of leaving a kid that young passed out in a bad district. The things that would most likely have happened to him if Yuki had left him there….it was a sickening thought and Yuki frowned harder.

He had never been known as a man who handed out sympathy as easily as he had done tonight.

*-*-*

Yuki looked up as he heard a yawn. The boy tiredly made his way through the living room towards the kitchen. His oddly colored hair stuck up in weird angles, and his eyes blinked sleepily. He dragged his feet along the wooden floor, then plopped himself bonelessly against the bench, moving a stool over to sit on.

"Morning" it was said with a drained voice, and those eyes were staring almost lifelessly at the hard counter.

Yuki snorted and buttered his toast. "Make your own breakfast, brat. There's bread in the bread box"

"My name is Shuichi"

He dug into the toast with the knife. "You have caused me too much trouble to be called anything but brat. Or perhaps little shit would be better?"

Shuichi's head whipped up. "I said I was sorry!!"

"I don't care."

"Oh no, you don't care about anything do you!?" his vice broke as a sob escaped.

"Bloody hell……shutup, I don't want to hear your pitiful whining. I have already shown you enough kindness by bringing you here. I should have left you out in the cold to die."

"Yes! You should have! I would rather die then be here you asshole! I…I….would….it wasn't….oh god! She wasn't meant to die!"

Yuki blinked and took a look at the obviously unstable young man sitting at his counter. Oh, for gods sake.

"No, she wasn't mean to die. But she did, and you can't change that by yelling at me you twit."

"Fuck you!"

Yuki's eyes narrowed. "Oh get over it! People die everyday! What makes this different? Because you knew her? Because your supposedly idealistic life was shattered? Bad things happen everyday but you don't see the world stopping to accept it do you?! You should not be so naïve to think that some stranger on the street is going to sympathize with you!"

"I….." the boy banged his fist against the bench exasperated. "You don't have to be so cruel as to start yelling at me!"

Yuki snarled and grabbed his toast, making his way towards the living room. "The world is cruel kid, get used to it"

Shuichi didn't bother to reply, instead he started to prepare his breakfast.

*-*-*-*

Yuki had somewhat offhandedly offered to show him the way to the train station. Shuichi had accepted quietly and followed him out the door. He was lost in thought as he followed Yuki throughout the crowded streets. He was feeling ashamed at himself. Yuki hadn't left him in a dark alleyway to freeze, the man had brought him to his home, gave him a bed to sleep in and provided him with food. He resolved to apologize to Yuki when they reached the train station.

Fifteen minutes later Yuki stopped midstride. "Here we are, now piss off"

Shuichi blinked and looked up, noticing the thicker crowd here as people made their way to work. He turned and faced Yuki, remembering the formal way to apologize that his mother had taught him a long time ago before she had died.

He bowed then straightened, the apology of his family line tumbling through his lips. "I thank you for your kindness and may the Shindou Family House forever bless you"

With that he turned, and made his way through the crowd.

Yuki's eyes were wide as he watched the teenager walk away. A shocked murmur trailed past his lips. "Shindou……I thought they were dead…"

Pulling himself together he pointedly ignored the puzzle and walked off. He had seen the Shindou's dead bodies himself, it must just have been a coincidence.

*-*-*-*

That's the ends of chapter one…..chapter two is already in the works, and it should take me a week for each chapter to come out. Hopefully the chapters will get longer and the writing will improve.

Sorry about killing off Maiko, but I needed for someone close to Shuu to die so he could get involved in the evil underbelly of society.

Evil underbelly I tell you. *giggles* 

Also, Yuki seems to be a /bit/ of a prick here, but hey….that's in character isn't it? * snicker*

Reviews are loved and cherished, it also forces me to write quicker. (oh and, any references to Physics is total bullshit, as I'm horrible with those kind of things….)

Taira.


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